The Federal Government (FG) has called for stronger sanctions against wildlife crimes, saying inadequate punishment has contributed to the depletion of Nigeria’s wildlife population.
The Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Lawal, said this during the eighth Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society of Nigeria (WISON) in Abuja on Thursday.
The conference was held in collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS).
Lawal said several wildlife species that were abundant in the 1960s had disappeared or become endangered due to bushmeat consumption and indiscriminate killing.
He stressed the need for sanctions capable of deterring people from killing or trafficking wildlife, particularly elephants and other endangered species.
The minister advocated the introduction of wildlife crime studies at the undergraduate level in Nigerian universities, particularly in law and other
